***This post is a bit of a break from the usual sort of thing on this blog. I was invited by the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) to become a tourism supporter, and was lucky to be able to attend a 2 day bus tour in Gunma prefecture, along with 13 other foreigners also living in Japan.***

We left Tokyo Station at 8:30am, and drove north for 3 hours into Gunma prefecture.

The first stop on our tour was the Hara Museum ARC, which is an annex of the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. Modern art museums are not my usual tourist spot of choice, but I was impressed with the Andy Warhol pieces as well as Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin installation. Unfortunately. I wasn’t able to take photos of the interior installations, but the outside of the museum also had some interesting artwork on display.

Next was a stop at Ikaho Green Bokujo, which is a type of farm experience. There are ponies to be ridden, sheep to be walked and bunnies to be petted.

Then it was time for lunch! Mixed pork, beef and lamb barbecue with cabbage and bean sprouts, followed by the farm’s own vanilla ice cream 🙂

After lunch, it was time to explore the park area and see the sheep dog show. I love the Halloween decorations, it reminds me of pumpkin patches and fall festivals from back home.

After getting our fill of the Green Bokujo, it was time for a stop at the Takehisa Yumeji Museum. Takehisa Yumeji was a famous artist and poet who is famous for his unconventional painting of women and inventive prints and illustrations. There was also an annex with some lovely glass work, and the entire museum area was well designed and showcased Takehisa Yumeji’s many works.